Poll: Which country has had the most negative effect on the world?

[ZeroAX]

I'd say America simply because while other countries do all these horrible things, at least they own up to it. America seems to think its doing people a favour by invading and destabilising their country. They still have this image that there the great hero who saves the day. If they were more realistic, like say Russia or Germany then I wouldn't mind so much.

1) You do know America formally apologized for the internment of the Japanese right? And for the overthrow of Hawaii? States have even apologized for slavery. But when Japan doesn't apologize for their use of forced prostitution on Korean woman or the Rape on Nanjing it is alright? Is Turkey owning up to it when they refuse to acknowledge the Armenian genocide? How about Russia when Stalin let millions starve in Ukraine? The US still has to acknowledge and apologize for some things, I agree, but you cannot be so naive to believe that other countries have apologized for their wrong doings. Also, just because Germany apologized for the Holocaust, does not mean that it is okay they did it.

2) Would you have preferred if both Turkey and Greece had successful communist revolutions? Without the United States "policing" that's what would have happened. The U.S. also went into Somalia during their Civil War and provided humanitarian aide to it's citizens. Yes of course the US has destabilized regions, but they have also done good by intervening.

Ok so I'll agree with your first point though, though I still think Americans have this whole attitude that there always the good guys.

But the second point is ridiculous, its none of your business if either Turkey or Greece chose to become communist countries, the US should stick to there part of the world. And what exactly is the US's deal with communism, they seem to think its some form of ultimate evil that will eat there children, I mean what exactly terrify's Americans so much about communism is it the fear of sharing with each other, of all working together. Its not the best system but its by not far the worst. I honestly though this irrational fear of "reds under the bed" had disappeared nowadays.

nope as a greek i have to say thanks for that one. Did you see how poor the communist bloke became? Just think that people from east berlin did really crazy shit to get to the other side (if you ever go to berlin there's this museum checkpoint charlie, that has on display the various methods they used to get accross to the other side)


and think about it, even stalin's own daughter asked for political refuge in the west

 

[Agayek]

I Voted America: Not because of the wars of lack therof, not because I dislike Americans, not because of all this money crap, but because of the culture. It seems to sicken just as many Americans as it does foreigners. Cult of celebrity, laissez-faire, gangs, fast food, and all that crap.
There are many good, hard working, worldly-wise, honest Americans, and there are a great many on these forums, there are just a few retards who steal the limelight and make their country look bad. Like British chavs or tyrants, the Russian mobsters, French layabouts, Italian chauvinists, or just about everyone not working-class in the East.
Regular people are the same everywhere.

While I more or less disagree with the rest, I will agree 100% with this bit. American popular culture makes me a very sad panda. I really wish they'd let me just start posting signs randomly around country saying "FREE MONEY, THIS WAY!" with a big arrow pointing into a spike pit. That would hopefully help things out quite a lot.

 

[Daveman]

Then we have Britain giving the Jews Israel, knowing full well the kind of conflicts they'd face.

I believe that it was both America and Britain who gave Israel to the Jews because of guilt about the Holocaust. Hmm I wonder which major countries rich Jews are funding the Israelites against Palestine?

I believe it was the UN actually. So that fucks up at least one "america is evil" and "britain is evil" argument.

 

[Dynex811]

But the second point is ridiculous, its none of your business if either Turkey or Greece chose to become communist countries, the US should stick to there part of the world. And what exactly is the US's deal with communism, they seem to think its some form of ultimate evil that will eat there children, I mean what exactly terrify's Americans so much about communism is it the fear of sharing with each other, of all working together. Its not the best system but its by not far the worst. I honestly though this irrational fear of "reds under the bed" had disappeared nowadays.

Very few countries choose to be communist. In most cases small groups of radicals take control or other nations invade and set up communist governments. Turkey and Greece did not want to be controlled by communists, that's why there was a civil war. Greece welcomed U.S. intervention. Go ahead and ask an average Greek or Turk if they would have preferred it if they had been communist. Edit: I just noticed ZeroAX's post above proved that point.

What's wrong with communism? On paper, nothing, in reality; it's the fact that people have no representation in government, a complete lack of free will, brutal military repressions and in some cases starvation. Other than that, there's nothing wrong. Communism is not the ultimate evil, in fact it's wonderful on paper. What terrifies people, not just America (I know it's a shocker but other countries actually opposed communism in the cold war), are the dictators who run it. I can't speak for the 305 million people in my country, but I'm not afraid of communists or communism (I actually favor several socialist-type policies such as universal health care), I'm afraid of the totalitarian rulers who oppress their people regardless of whether or not they're communist.

 

[AlphaOmega]

Africa and all other poor country's

I think by now we payed our debt for slavery and they can take care off themselves more, even though thats risky for our own economy. else we should just excommunicate all wrong goverments there and place them under UN controll.

 

[Dynex811]

Why does everyone say you and your. It's not me, it never was me, I didn't even exist. Please try and refer to them in the third person, it reduces the chance of personal insult.

You're right, I apologize for that.

Leaving behind solid, proven infrastructure and governmental and social systems that really only needed the leaders replaced. That's what happened. They elected bad leaders, if elected is the right word, and they took their countries down with them.

Absolutely not true. Many countries under British control had joined many rival or warring tribes which would not otherwise have been joined together. They did not want to let the other have control in the new democracies causing severe unrest, disorganization and disunity. Plus the un-education of the vast majority of the African colonial subjects and the little experience they had had with political freedom caused the democracies to fail as well. The political institutions were not firmly established when the British left and the social systems were much less then solid.

That's not Imperialism, that's just violence. Everyone did that, lots of places still do. Imperialism is believing you can manipulate or control other countries simply by demonstrating the power of your own. Britain did it a lot during the time of Empire, but there were instances where they wouldn't out of respect, obligations, or profit (Why enact Imperialism when they want to join you anyway?). It was the done thing at the time, too.

I don't think there was a time when the British weren't imperialistic out of respect. I know they never refrained from doing it because of profit because the whole point of being imperialistic in a region is for profit. Either way, the Imperialism and violence was still wrong, as it always is. And saying "Why enact Imperialism when they want to join you anyway?" makes it sound like the countries that Britain was being imperialistic to had no choice, either they joined, or Britain stepped up.

America does it now despite most people believing the modern world to be above that, and it makes America look like a bully because it only tends to manipulate small countries who can't fight back anyway. That is why the world dislikes America. If they were directly invading any country tied to Europe it would be another story. Those attempts at expansion would've been quashed instantly from without and within. The fact that it appears to most people that America is picking on backwards states under the guise of democracy is what leads to the America-hate.

I won't argue that the U.S. is not imperialistic, but often when it interferes with other countries affairs it has the support of the United Kingdom. Also, by saying that if the U.S. interfered with a country tied to Europe that they would be stopped, makes Europe seem worse by letting the U.S. do those things because they don't care about the rest of the world.

 

[ConstantJoe]

I'm saying Britain, because of the things that the British Empire did that still cause strife in the world today. (India/Pakistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, etc.)

Dont forget northern ireland, 2 more policemen shot a few weeks ago

The policemen were shot by Nationalists, so I guess you could put that down under Ireland, and not the UK.


But then again, none of that would've happened if the British hadn't invaded Ireland in the first place.



BUT then again, none of THAT would've happened if the Normans didn't conquer England.


And Normandy's in France.


I'm voting for France!!

 

[ConstantJoe]

no norway on the list?

They deserve a spot on this list, because that terrible Eurovision song is the most negative effect any country has ever unleashed upon the world, ever.

 

[big_shaq12]

I would just like to point out there wouldn't be an America or Britain or France without the Roman Empire!

There wouldn't be Romans without the Greeks (or at least that's what my fevered grasp of history tells me).
And there wouldn't be Greeks without... um... let's just say the blame for all the bad stuff in the world rests solely on whichever ape decided to climb down from the tree first.

and some say that the trees were a bad idea and we should have all just stayed in the water.

Thank you Douglas Adams.

 

[Dynex811]

American popular culture makes me a very sad panda. I really wish they'd let me just start posting signs randomly around country saying "FREE MONEY, THIS WAY!" with a big arrow pointing into a spike pit. That would hopefully help things out quite a lot.

May uncle was killed that way

 

[Fingolfin High-King of the Noldor]

I was actually thinking Israel..

 

[Agayek]

May uncle was killed that way

I'm sorry you share genes with someone like that

 

[big_shaq12]

I went with Russia. The US most of the time does what it does with the best of intentions their not perfect but who is. the Brits may have conquered most of the world, and didn't want to leave, but when they finally did they most often tried to leave the foundation for a stable democracy(it happened in America after the war. In India after their peaceful protests. and Canada after we asked really nicely in the sixties. What did the Russians do? Start the space race that they lost? does that make up for destabilizing an entire continent, killing tens of millions of innocent people (far more then any other country on this list), and ruining the name communism and socialism for any good person to use.

 

[Dynex811]

why is France not on the list?

YEAH! Whey aren't they listed!?! They should be 4th on the list right between Germany and America!!!!!

 

[Dynex811]

May uncle was killed that way

I'm sorry you share genes with someone like that

Me too...

 

[PersianLlama]

Then we have Britain giving the Jews Israel, knowing full well the kind of conflicts they'd face.

I believe that it was both America and Britain who gave Israel to the Jews because of guilt about the Holocaust. Hmm I wonder which major countries rich Jews are funding the Israelites against Palestine?

I believe it was the UN actually. So that fucks up at least one "america is evil" and "britain is evil" argument.

They both voted for the creation of Israel. They also were, and still are, prominent supporters of Israel. There were other countries too, so blame has to be evenly spread out.

...But y'know continuously supporting Israel?

 

[TopHatTim]

Wow! The poll results cough me by complete surprise! (Sarcasm)

EDIT: Also, who the hell voted for France 0_o

France has done some pretty shady stuff. They had an empire almost as large as Britain's (although it was mostly dessert), they conquered Europe all the way east to Moscow under Napoleon, and they helped to create the circumstances that let to the 2nd world war.

yeah i totally voted for france...they never contribute to anything but art and delicous delicous food